I’m wondering if other fundraising professionals have experienced similar shifts in their perspective of the charitable sector as their careers evolved as I have?
When I first volunteered with a well-established charity’s fund development committee in the early 1990s, everyone with whom I interacted was so friendly and personable. The Committee itself was so focused and cohesive. Its leadership was strong and purpose-driven. Volunteers had clearly defined roles they successfully played largely due to the tremendous support they received from dedicated staff members. I thought I had discovered the Garden of Eden.
The welcoming and energetic environment inspired me to pursue a career in fundraising since I assumed all organizations functioned this way. Who wouldn’t want a job they enjoy as they make the world a better place? Holy cow was I wrong!
Reality hit me early in my career as I quickly learned that toxic workplaces, monumental stress, bullying, backstabbing, resentment and nepotism were in abundance in the non-profit world. Tyrannical bosses, unsupportive boards, hostile co-workers and apathetic volunteers destroyed and permanently erased any preconceived notion I had of the charitable sector as a utopian paradise.
One of my first jobs was with a children’s mental health agency that was lead by an Executive Director with the warmth and compassion of Genghis Khan who was not interested in learning anything about fund development strategies. What mattered to her the most was raising money in the shortest timeframe possible through any means for absolutely no defined reason.
Another stop along my career path, the person to whom I reported seemed to go out of their way to ensure I failed. Yes I realized that sounds like sour grapes, yet I was never assigned a permanent workspace, email address or telephone extension. Furthermore, I had to supply my own computer (which was my old 386) and was absolutely forbidden to approach anyone within the organization about giving or volunteering for any fundraising activities. Somehow I completed a two-year contract and managed to meet all funding targets.
Far more disappointing and shocking was experiencing the disdain many staff, board and volunteers felt towards fundraisers. Some people are downright hostile. Please know I am not suggesting this applies to all charities. But I do caution anyone who is contemplating employment in the non-profit sector that it is not all rainbows, sunshine and lollipops.
